Manchester City vs Swansea City (taken from the BBC Sport website) Venue: Etihad Stadium Date: Saturday, 22 November TEAM NEWS Manchester City's Vincent Kompany is fit after returning to training ahead of schedule following a calf injury. Eliaquim Mangala has overcome a knock, but Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov are both expected to be out until next month with calf injuries. Swansea hope to have Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge back after injury, while midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is available after a one-match ban. Defender Federico Fernandez misses out again with a calf problem. MATCH PREVIEW Manchester City will be hoping the international break will bring a change of fortune for the resumption of domestic matters. The champions haven't yet got anywhere near the standards they have set themselves. One win in their last six games in all competitions has been a surprise, and perhaps a source of motivation. Fifteen Premier League points from the last 27 isn't devastating and it certainly won't have escaped their notice that Chelsea have amassed 23 during the same period. City have to find some consistency and keep the leaders in their sights. In Sergio Aguero, they have a striker who can, and has, won them the league. He's right at the top of his game and has nine goals in his last six league games alone. But even the very best can't do it alone. The Argentinian has 12 of their 22 league goals so far; no other player has more than two. Last season they dropped only five points at home and this was the kind of match that didn't produce too many concerns. However, they are facing a current Swansea team who are fresh from beating Arsenal, have already been to Manchester and won this season, and who asked Chelsea strong questions at Stamford Bridge. They have only lost once in their last six league matches. This is the fixture where Premier League life began for Swansea City back in August 2011 under Brendan Rodgers. Garry Monk missed the chance to captain the team through injury and wouldn't have ever thought that his first appearance at the Etihad would be in the dugout. His seamless transition is there for all to see, as is his stamp on the team this season. He will recall that Aguero came off the bench to score twice on his City debut that night and Monk will be trying to keep him away from the headlines again. MATCH FACTS Head-to-head Manchester City have won all three of their Premier League meetings with Swansea at the Etihad Stadium without conceding a goal. Swansea's only ever league victory at Manchester City was by 2-1 in 1951. Manchester City Manchester City have lost just once in their last eight league matches (W4, D3), with only one defeat in their previous 12 home games. They have two more points at this stage than they did during last season's title-winning campaign (19). Only Sunderland (4) have scored more own goals this season than Manchester City (3). Sergio Aguero has scored 13 goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances, with nine coming in his last six. Manuel Pellegrini's side have lost just one of the 49 league matches in which Aguero has scored (W43, D5). That defeat was against Chelsea in October 2013. Swansea City Swansea have gone four games without an away win in the Premier League since beating Manchester United. Despite only one victory, they are yet to concede the first goal away from home this season. Only Southampton (7) have kept more clean sheets than Swansea (5) during this campaign. Swansea are one of four sides to have received three red cards already this season, equalling the club's total for last season. They have never received four in a single Premier League season. Gylfi Sigurdsson has scored or assisted nine Premier League goals this season - only Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa (both 10) and Sergio Aguero (12) have been involved in more.
Couldn't see one so just quickly copy-pasted the BBC article to give us something to chat on today! Come on you, Swans! Let's score at the Etihad for once
Thanks Big. The key to the game is City's Bayern match in midweek. Without their best line-up on the field against Bayern they're not going to be able to compete. So Pelligrini has some big decisions to make and may bias his selection against us to ensure that he can field his fitest, best side against Bayern. Since Dzeko and Kolarov are injured my only concern is Aguero. Do we have sufficient pace and smarts to stop him. If so I am confident of a point and optimistic about getting all three ... but we need to produce the same degree of composure, guile and quality we delivered against Arsenal. I'd be happy starting the same side we started against Arsenal. I don't think anybody starting that game deserves to be dropped for those returning from injury ..... perhaps Leon over Carroll, but not Shelvey over Carroll or Leon. Excited and optimistic is my mood. I would be disappointed to lose this game.
Munich Tuesday is a must win for Pellegrini or I think he could get the sack. Because of this, I think that Man City might field a slightly weakened side(if you can call it weakened) so we might be in with a chance of a result today. Is Kompany still injured? If he is, then I think we will get something from the game
I think Monk has finally found the right balance to the midfield, so I'll be very surprised/disappointed if Jonjo starts instead of Leon or Carroll today.
sorry,maybe nothing to do with the thread.but i just hope we get something from this game as M lawrence really p....ses me off with his predictions.Come on you Jacks.WHO ARE WE.....................He even have Chelsea to win 3=0 who everybody predicts they will win the leaague only 3-0 but swansea to lose 4-0
Company unfortunately for us is fit for todays game, and I think that Citeh will use today to get back to some form for their big Euro game this week, hope we don't ship too many goals, we never come back from international breaks well.â¦â¦ ......
Kompany is good, but not as good as there is in this league, and not as good as everybody thinks he is. Bony is a handful for any defender and Kompany is no exception. If Kompany is not 100%, Bony is going to physically give him a game and a half never mind technically.
After the international break he may see this as a chance for his first choice team to get minutes together before the Bayern game. Either way, it will be tough and I'd take a decent performance as a good day's work. Always disappointed to lose but more so if we play poorly. Carroll, Montero & Bartley would have cause to be aggrieved if any of them were dropped today. Maybe plan a half and half for Leon and Carroll. Have to go 2 - 0 and hope I'm wrong.
I like Jonjo as a player, but like has already been mentioned, I don't like him with too much defensive responsibility. Leon and Carroll are cut from the same cloth - players that read the game well, disrupt opposition play, and control the pace of the game through clever, but simple, use of the football. Jonjo is a matchwinner, and possibly there is an argument that Jonjo should play ahead of Ki if Leon or Carroll are on the pitch. However, I've always felt that we play better with two holding midfielders and one attacking midfielder. So, for me, if everyone is fit then we pick 2 defensive midfielders from Ki, Leon and Carroll, and then 1 attacking midfielder from Gylfi and Jonjo.
Good points Big, but I think the key is that both Ki and Leon have the ability to contribute offensively when the opportunity presents. So indeed, they can lie deep and control the game, but both (especially Ki) have the ability to be dangerous on a break and can be creative around the oppositions box.
Some really tough selection choices for Mr Monk today. Probably Bartlett over Amat. Montero deserves to start, so Dyer or Routledge on the bench. For me, Sigurdsson should start every game, and Ki also, so it's a bit of a fight between Britton, Carroll & Shelvey for the final spot.
I don't think I've ever seen Leon contribute offensively; apart from his goal against Forest in the play-off semi.
Well if we win this one the key to the city of Manchester is ours.Hate to say it , but another well timed game against a big club .We could lay a heap of hurt on City, if they fall from pressure, who's manager is targeting 7 wins from the next 8 premier league games . Manchester City's eggs are going to be nestled in the Premier League , all teams playing Man Ciry from here on in in the premier can expect they re all.Nice to play them when theyre shy on confidence though.Think were in trouble ..5 - 2 City
Must win game for pellegrini,if we have a really bad week he could be dead man walking after munich midweek and saints away next weekend where we rarely do well IlL go for a hopeful 2-1 home win
I expect we'll play our strongest available Hart Zabaleta Kompany Demichellis Clichy Fernando Fernandinho Milner Yaya nasri Aguero Off to the game,wish me luck
